Opera Ball Returns with Vivid Moroccan Theme, a $1.25 Million Haul and Even a Camel!

Jeff Gremillion

SOMETIMES CALLED THE mother of all galas, the always spectacular Houston Grand Opera Ball returned to the Wortham Center foyer with a roar, with a haul of $1.25 million and a rousing party. It was the event’s first time in the theater center since Hurricane Harvey and then the Covid pandemic displaced it from its longtime home. And, for many, the splendor of its colorful “Le Voyage à Marrakech” theme was worth the long wait.

Mum's the Word! Inside ‘Barrier-Free’ Summer Camp’s Million-Dollar High School Heyday

Evan W. Black

THE JOYS OF summer camp are the makings of childhood memories, and contribute to a sense of self-worth and confidence — a fact that is doubly true for those who attend Camp For All, a Houston nonprofit that runs a “barrier-free” camp for children and adults with special needs in the Hill Country town of Burton.

Travel: Art Fest Lights Up Florida’s Emerald Coast for the Perfect Weekend

Robin Barr Sussman

ART, ARCHITECTURE AND beach lovers will collide for a dose of sun, sand and play at the Digital Graffiti Festival at Alys Beach May 13-14 – and if you’ve never been to this luxury vacation getaway (just a two-hour flight from Houston) – you’re in for a treat. With its white stucco buildings, cobblestone streets and Moorish-inflected architecture, the serene town feels worlds away from the Florida Panhandle.

Alexandra Pena and Aaron Bludorn (photo by Lauren Holub)

A WELCOME ADDITION to the outer Loop, restaurateur Aaron Bludorn’s new Hedwig Village tavern is packed nightly with coworkers, couples and families, all eager to dine on his fancy-yet-unfussy take on pub food.

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Food

Smash burger at Malibu Barbie Cafe Miami (photo via Instagram)

GET READY FOR the ultimate Barbiecore experience, coming to H-Town this summer. After popping up in New York, Chicago, Miami and Minneapolis, Malibu Barbie Cafe — complete with a pinkified menu and roller rink — arrives at the Junction HTX building off Washington just north of I-10 in August.

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